gogfumble
New Member
Hello all!
Wouldn't mind some help with figuring out some lighting for my new tank. I am going round in circles at the moment!
I recently got a 4ft glass tank which I am intending to set up as a marine tank. No stand or hood but they are both being sorted.
We have a wooden hinged hood coming for it. So I need to decide what I am going to do about lighting.
I can't afford to go halide so will be sticking with T5s.
I have been offered 2 used (but working - he wants £30 for both) Arcadia twin controller units, which would allow me to have 4 bulbs in the hood.
Does this sound like a plan to people? The only draw back I can see is having two of the units, but an upside being I can have some white, some blue lights and have them on and off at different times of the day.
I know I could DIY lights, but really, I am not an electrician and would not feel confident that I could safely make a suitable unit. I know to some it would be a piece of cake but then we all can't be good at everything can we!
The other idea I has was to get a 4 strip iQuatics pendant as they are a fantastic price considering you get the tubes too. But I need to have a hood rather than a pendant. We had a tank, all be it smaller with a pendant light which one of my cats loved jumping on top of from a book case. In the process her and her big bum managed to break one of the runners for the sliding glass and cracked the glass. So a hooded aquarium really is the better option for our circumstances. Which is a shame as I really like the iQuatics units.
If heat is an issue with the 4 T5s in a hood, could I hook up some small computer fans or something? I can do computer bits, thats as far as my electronics skills go. The back of the hood will be open though, so that should help with the temperature.
And if it came as a choice between the cats and the fish, I think my parents would chuck the fish out.
hehe.
Any help & thoughts would be much appreciated!
Wouldn't mind some help with figuring out some lighting for my new tank. I am going round in circles at the moment!
I recently got a 4ft glass tank which I am intending to set up as a marine tank. No stand or hood but they are both being sorted.
We have a wooden hinged hood coming for it. So I need to decide what I am going to do about lighting.
I can't afford to go halide so will be sticking with T5s.
I have been offered 2 used (but working - he wants £30 for both) Arcadia twin controller units, which would allow me to have 4 bulbs in the hood.
Does this sound like a plan to people? The only draw back I can see is having two of the units, but an upside being I can have some white, some blue lights and have them on and off at different times of the day.
I know I could DIY lights, but really, I am not an electrician and would not feel confident that I could safely make a suitable unit. I know to some it would be a piece of cake but then we all can't be good at everything can we!
The other idea I has was to get a 4 strip iQuatics pendant as they are a fantastic price considering you get the tubes too. But I need to have a hood rather than a pendant. We had a tank, all be it smaller with a pendant light which one of my cats loved jumping on top of from a book case. In the process her and her big bum managed to break one of the runners for the sliding glass and cracked the glass. So a hooded aquarium really is the better option for our circumstances. Which is a shame as I really like the iQuatics units.
If heat is an issue with the 4 T5s in a hood, could I hook up some small computer fans or something? I can do computer bits, thats as far as my electronics skills go. The back of the hood will be open though, so that should help with the temperature.
And if it came as a choice between the cats and the fish, I think my parents would chuck the fish out.
hehe.
Any help & thoughts would be much appreciated!
